Palin Pushback

Veep nominees have been embroiled in controversy before. Richard Nixon saved his place on Dwight Eisenhower's ticket with his 1952 "Checkers" speech, invoking his dog while trying to explain away a slush fund. Thomas Eagleton was dumped 18 days after George McGovern picked him in 1972 over revelations that he had received electroshock therapy for mental illness. Geraldine Ferraro spent weeks trying to explain her husband's tangled finances when she became the first woman named to a national ticket in 1984. Four years later, Dan Quayle was portrayed as an inexperienced nominee dogged by questions about his National Guard service.

Some Palin boosters have mounted a "let Sarah be Sarah" drive, arguing that McCain strategists have cosseted her, making her look like a nervous college student cramming for a big oral exam. But Wallace says Palin will do more interviews, including one with the third network anchor, NBC's Brian Williams. "We have no hesitance about putting her in front of as many people as possible," Wallace says.

The latest controversy to hit the echo chamber came yesterday as a conservative Web site challenged the fairness of tonight's moderator, PBS's Gwen Ifill, for writing a book about Barack Obama and other rising black politicians, even though the book project has long been public.

Ifill's forthcoming book, "The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama," was mentioned in a Sept. 4 Washington Post article. WorldNetDaily.com, in criticism that was picked up by the Drudge Report and Rush Limbaugh, questioned whether the book would be "pro-Obama" and undermine her fairness as moderator.

"The book has been out there and discussed for months," PBS spokeswoman Anne Bell said. "It's a non-issue." (WorldNet is offering its readers a $4.95 book titled "The Audacity of Deceit: Obama's War on American Values.")

Ifill moderated the 2004 debate between Vice President Cheney and John Edwards, and if that is any indication, she will ask both candidates hard, detailed questions. McCain told Fox News yesterday: "I think that Gwen Ifill is a professional, and I think she will do a totally objective job because she is a highly respected professional."

A final thought on Ifill (who told me last month of Obama that "I still don't know if he'll be a good president"): I'll be happy to critique her fairness or lack thereof after the debate. But to slam her before the debate, on the basis of the title of a book she hasn't published yet?

Wow -- Keith Olbermann called Palin's non-answer on the Supreme Court the "smoking gun of stupidity." And Fox media critic Bernie Goldberg said she was making Dan Quayle "look like Socrates."

By the way, L.A. Times blogger David Sarno alerted me that after I reported Monday that CBS had more embarrassing footage of Palin, a site called Blue Tidal Wave ran the headline, "Couric Hides Embarrassing Palin Tape in Exchange for Exclusive Interviews." In fact, CBS posed the same questions to Palin and Biden and always planned to air the responses last night and tonight.

This WP poll has to be bad news for the Palin camp: "Six in 10 voters see her as lacking the experience to be an effective president, and a third are now less likely to vote for McCain because of it."

The Palin pregame handicapping is making my head spin. Has she already dug herself into a deep hole? Or does she now have to show only that she can string sentences together?

John Nichols in the Nation: "It is true that the bar has been lowered for Palin. But as the debate approaches, it is being raised for McCain. He needs a running mate who won't cause him any more embarrassment.